UCLA football opens training camp with position battles beyond just QB

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UCLA’s Boss Tagaloa (75), a former four-star prospect from De La Salle High, started eight games on defense last year with 32 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, but he’s switching to center on the offensive line this season. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

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The winner of the quarterback derby, whether it’s Devon Modster, Wilton Speight, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Matt Lynch or Austin Burton, will be playing behind three new offensive line starters. Andre James, the team’s newly minted left tackle, and right guard Michael Alves are the only returning starters from last year’s group that surprisingly trotted out the same starting line in all 13 games.

Josh Wariboko-Alali, the only other offensive lineman with starting experience at UCLA at the position, slid into the starting left guard spot during Friday’s practice. He has two career starts for the Bruins, both coming in 2016.

While just three offensive linemen have starting experience in a UCLA jersey, the Bruins added a key graduate transfer in tackle Justin Murphy. Murphy started 12 games at Texas Tech, but he medically retired prior to the 2017 season due to knee injuries. The 6-foot-6, 291-pounder played both guard and tackle for the Red Raiders, and “could definitely play great at tackle” for the Bruins, James said Friday.

Murphy would have to overtake spring’s right tackle Jake Burton to win the spot. Burton, who began his UCLA career as a defensive lineman, reprised the starting role during Friday’s practice as Murphy was making his on-field debut in front of the UCLA coaching staff.

Head coach Chip Kelly said Murphy adds “a little bit of veteran leadership” to the offensive line room. It’s a much-needed touch for a team losing its starting quarterback and center who had a combined 74 starts between them.

At center, James is anticipating a tight race between former defensive lineman Boss Tagaloa and redshirt freshman Zach Sweeney. After Tagaloa seemed to inch ahead during spring, Sweeney took first-team snaps Friday.

“He’s going to be a good player,” James said of Sweeney. “He came out here today and he worked really hard. I think we say, ‘You make a mistake, just go full speed.’ I think that’s what we focus on a lot. A lot of guys, it’s the first practice for them of fall camp, but if you’re going to make a mistake, go full speed.”

Tagaloa, a former four-star prospect from De La Salle High, started eight games on defense last year with 32 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.

“It’s a hard transition,” James said of Tagaloa’s move from defensive tackle to offensive line. “Center, you’re making a lot of calls, you’re doing a lot of work. You’re like the quarterback of the offensive line. But to have him, I think he’s picking it up very well.”

QUICK HITS

Freshman Atonio Mafi was the only player wearing a yellow non-contact jersey during Friday’s practice. The 380-pound defensive lineman injured his Achilles during his senior year of high school.

Thuc Nhi Nguyen has covered UCLA for the Southern California News Group since 2016. A proud Seattle native, she majored in journalism and mathematics at the University of Washington. She likes graphs, animated GIFs and superheroes.